Stop-key mechanism for harmoniums.



PATENTED AUG. 11,1903.

STOP KEY MECHANISMEI'OR HARMONIUMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 4. 1901.

' I v I anpaul'oz I flflioznaqo Witnmo %%%%m UNITED STATES Patented August 11, 1903.

PATENT ()FFICE.

CARL HESSE, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO CONCERN SOHIED- MAYER PIANOFORTEFABRIK, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY.

STOP-KEY MECHANISM FOR HARMONIUMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,255, dated August 11, 1903. Application filed November-4, 1901. S i l N 81,141. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HESSE, acitizen of the Empire of Austria-Hungary, residing at Stuttgart, in the Kingdom of Wiirtemberg,

Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stop-Key Mechanism for Harmoniums; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to stops for wind instruments-such as harmoniums, organs, orgarelles, melodions, and the like-its object being to furnish a stop which may be set by the simple pressure of a finger as contradistinguished from the stops hitherto usually employed, which are ordinarily arranged to be drawn out and which necessitate the use of at least two fingers and the removal of the hand from the position occupied in fingering the keys of the instrument.

With this object in view my invention con sists in features, devices, and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented in Figure 1 a side elevation, and in Fig. 2 a front elevation, of a stop-key mech anism embodying what I consider the preferred form of my invention.

In the rear of the keys a of the instrument is arranged the stop-frame b in the manner well known in these instruments. This stop frame I) is, however, distinguished from the usual form in that it is not provided with stop buttons or handles, but is equipped in the manner now to be set forth.

The lowerportion of the stop-frame bis furnished with a series of notches or grooves c, which grooves serve as guides for the stop levers or keys d, loosely engaging the same and extending therethrough, as shown. As now to be described, these stop-keys perform the function of the stop-buttons hitherto employed. As shown, these stop-keys are made in the form of bell-cranks, fulcrumed or journaled at their elbows d to the transverse shaft 2. The inner upwardly-extending arm 01 of the stop-key is provided at its upper free end with an arched or rounded bevel f,

having a sharp edge f, as shown, which cooperates with the gravity-latch m, pivoted on the lug Z, secured to the stop-frame b, the said latch at having the notch m, adapted to engage the sharp edge f when the stop-key d has been sufficiently depressed to enable the said edge f of the arm 01 to clear the forward edge of the notch m.

The free end f ofthe arm d of the stopkey is connected with the stop or register rod '1) by means of rod g and the lever h, fulcrumed at Ya on a stationary portion of the instrument in any suitable or known manner. As shown, the rod 9 passes loosely through the conical socket h" at the upper end of lever h and is secured by a turn-button threaded on the end of the said rod g. By a similar connection the register-rod t' is drawn out with absolute precision wherever the stop-key d is depressed.

In order to release the stop-key when a change of register is desired, the gravitylatch m is connected with a releasing-button q, arranged at a convenient point near the stop-key d, by a rodp connecting the said latch with the rear end of lever 0, fulcrumed at n and fastened at its forward end to the releasing-button q.

As is obvious from the foregoing, when it is desired to operate a certain stop the corresponding key cl is depressed in the same manner as an organ-key, whereby through the medium of the arm d rod g, lever h, and stop-rod i the said stop is opened. As the arm 01 travels in the direction of the arrow its edge f is caughtby the gravity-latch m and the key at is held in the position indicated in dotted lines and the stop remains open until by pressing on the release-button q the said 0 gravity-latch m is raised by lever 0 and rod 19, when the spring of the register or stop Valves, whichalways tends to close said valves and to draw the stop-rod t in the direction of arrow 2, will restore the stop-key d and all of its parts to the inoperative position indicated in full lines in the drawings through lever h and rod g. The stop-key is then ready to be again operated as desired.

As will be noted, under my present invention the stops are operated by the same manipulation as the key of the instrument and without requiring the removal of the hand from the keyboard.

At 0 are represented indicators for designating the various stops.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In a stop mechanism for harmoniums and the like, the combination of an angle-lever fulcrumed in proximity to the keyboard of the instrument within reach of the operator and connected with the register-valve, a latch arranged above said lever and adapted to engage and hold the end of the same, and means for lifting said latch out of engagement with the end of the angle-lever.

2. In a stop mechanism, the combination of an angle-lever connected with the register- Valve, a latch arranged above said lever and adapted to engage the end of the same, a lifter-rod attached to and depending from said latch, and vertically-operable means for operating said lifter-rod to release the latch from the lever.

3. In a stop mechanism, the combination of an angle-lever connected with the registervalve, a latch adapted to engage the end of said lever, a lifter-rod having its upper end pivoted to said latch, an operating-lever pivoted to the lower end of said lifter-rod and fulcrumed intermediate its length, and a key on the opposite end of the operating-lever whereby, when depressed by the operator, thelatch will be lifted outof engagement with the angle-lever.

4. In' a stop mechanism, the combination of a vertically-operable angle-lever, a latch adapted to engage the end of the lever, vertically-operable means for releasing the said latch, a vibratory lever, a connection between the upper end of said lever and the anglelever, and a connection between the lower end of said lever and the register-valve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL I-IESSE.

Witnesses:

ERNST ENTSONMAO, WALTER SOI-IWAEBSOH. 

